Home >> Hobbies >> Photography

How to Troubleshoot an OVT Slide and Negative Scanner

Scanners like the OVT Slide and Scanner convert 35mm film negatives and slides into digital files. There may be a number of different reasons why a photographer still shoots with film. The photographer may prefer the qualities that film offers over digital images, or it may be they have a considerable investment into film cameras. Slide and negative scanners are fairly easy to operate. If they start to malfunction, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the operation of the scanner.

Things You'll Need

Anti-static cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Confirm the scanner settings. OVT scanners will scan film negatives and film positives, otherwise known as slides. If the scanner is incorrectly set, the result will not be what you are expecting. To check the settings, open the software that was included with your scanner when you purchased it. Click "Settings" and confirm the correct media type is selected.
- 2
  Remove the film strip carrier from the scanner and make sure you have installed the film strip properly, if your images appear to be reversed when they are scanned. This can be a common mistake--the dull side of the negative or slide should facing down. Replace the film strip or slides and start your scanning process again.
- 3
  Clean your film strip or negatives if you begin to see black spots on your scans. This will likely be caused by dust that has collected on the negative or slide. You can clean the slide or film strip using an "anti-static" cloth. This specially treated cloth will remove dust and dirt from your film and prevent dust from collecting on the slide or film strip during the scanning process.

Photography